e part Don Calixto
had formerly inhabited.

This time Caesar had the election won, and there was not the slightest
fight. He was the boss of Castro, a good boss, accepted by everybody,
save the Clericals.

Caesar had money, and he wrote to his sister to come and see him at
Castro in his seigniorial mansion. Laura arrived at Madrid in the
autumn, and the two went to Castro together.

Laura's appearance in the town created a great sensation. At first
people said she was Caesar's wife. Others said she was an actress; until
finally everybody understood that she was his sister.

Laura really took undue advantage of her superiority. She was
irresistibly amiable and bewitching with everybody. The majority of the
men in Castro Duro talked of nothing but her, and the women hated her to
the death.

Being a marchioness, a Cardinal's niece, and a Deputy's sister, gave
her, besides, a terrible social prestige.

One person who clung to her, enchanted to have such a friend, was
Amparito. She went to the palace in her motor at all hours, to see Laura
and chat with her. In the afternoon the two of them used to walk in
Amparito's father's property, where the labourers, who were threshing,
received them like queens.

What enchanted Laura was the wild garden at Don Calixto's house, with
its pomegranates and laurels, its tower above the river, full of
climbing plants and oleanders.

"You ought to buy this house," she used to tell Caesar.

"It would cost a good deal."

"Pshaw! You could arrange that wonderfully. You would get married and
live here like a prince."

"Get married?"

"Yes. To Amparito. That young thing is enchanting.

"She will make a splendid little wife. Even for your respectability as a
Deputy, it would be fitting to marry. A bachelor politician has a poor
look."

Caesar paid no attention to these suggestions and continued to lead
an unsocial life. He covered the environs on horseback, found out
everything that was going on and settled it. In this he set himself
an enormous task, which was not notable for results; but he hoped to
succeed in conquering the district completely, and then to extend his
sphere of action to others and yet others.

After being a fortnight in Castro Duro, Laura went to Biarritz, as was
her custom every year.

AMPARITO AND CAESAR

Caesar was left alone. He had seen Amparito with his sister many times
but had scarcely ever exchanged more than a few words with her. One
after